‘You resisted firing people who think the Covid vaccine should be at six months’published at 16:13 BST
Image source, Reuters- You can watch some of this exchange in the video carousel at the top of the page
Monarez is now being questioned by Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky.
Paul asks her first about Covid vaccines: “Does the Covid vaccine reduce transmission?”
Monarez says it can, as it reduces “viral load”.
Paul then asks if the Covid vaccine reduces hospitalisation for children under 18.
“It can,” Monarez replies.
“It doesn’t,” Paul says.
Paul then asks if the Covid vaccine reduces the rate of death for children under 18.
“It can,” Monarez replies.
“That’s a ridiculous answer – no it doesn’t,” says Paul, before claiming that statistics show no benefit for children.
“You resisted firing people who have this idea that the Covid vaccine should be at six months,” Paul says. “That’s what this is about.”
Monarez says that is not “commensurate” with her experience.
Paul then asks her why the Hepatitis B vaccine is given to newborns if the mother is not infected with the virus.
He argues there should be changes to childhood vaccine schedules.
“What is the medical, scientific reason and proof for giving a Hepatitis B vaccine to a newborn?” he asks. “The burden is upon you, and the people you wouldn’t fire, to prove to us that we need to give our six-month-old a Covid vaccine, and we need to give our one-day-old a Hepatitis vaccine.”
Monarez responds by saying she agrees, but she would’t “pre-commit to approving all the ACIP recommendations without the science”.
“Untrue,” Paul claims.
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